CSRA REGIONAL PLAN 2035 Regional Assessment Stakeholder Involvement Program
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CSRA REGIONAL PLAN 2035 Regional Assessment Stakeholder Involvement Program CSRA Regional Plan 2035 Table of Contents A. Regional Assessment 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………….…..4 2. Potential Regional Issues and Opportunities………………………………………………..……….8 2.1 Population…….……………………………………………………………………………….....8 2.2 Housing…………………………………………………………………………………………...9 2.3 Economic Development………………………………………………………………….……9 2.4 Land Use………………………………………………………………………………………..10 2.5 Transportation and Community Facilities……………………………………………….11 2.6 Natural and Environmental Resources……………………………………………………12 2.7 Intergovernmental Coordination…………………………………………………………..12 3. Regional Development Patterns………………………………………………………………………14 3.1 Projected Development Patterns…………………………………………………………..15 3.2 Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………17 3.3 Areas Requiring Special Attention………………………………………………………...17 4. Supporting Data………………………………………………………………………………………….21 4.1 Population………………………………………………………………………………………21 4.2 Housing………………………………………………………………………………………....25 4.3 Economic Development………………………………………………………………………27 4.4 Land Use………………………………………………………………………………………...50 4.5 Transportation and Community Facilities………………………………………………..52 4.6 Natural and Environmental Resources……………………………………………………58 B. Stakeholder Involvement Program………………………………………..…………………………74 C. Regional Agenda (pending) Appendix: Analysis of Quality Community Objectives……………………………………………..79 Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 1 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 CSRA REGIONAL PLAN 2035 Regional Assessment Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 2 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 Section 1: INTRODUCTION Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 3 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 1.1 Regional Plan Overview The CSRA Regional Plan 2035 (hereinafter ‘the Plan’) is the long-range plan for the management of the region’s projected growth by local governments and the CSRA Regional Commission. The Plan’s horizon is twenty years but will be updated in ten years to address changing regional conditions. The process is divided into three distinct parts, per the Regional Planning Requirements established by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA): § Regional Assessment: Identification and analysis of existing conditions using available data § Stakeholder Involvement Program: Strategy for public participation in the development of the Regional Agenda § Regional Agenda: Regional vision and implementation program The resulting analysis will assess the state of the region’s socioeconomic, land use, and environmental opportunities and threats. The CSRA’s vision and goals, together with an appraisal of the region, will set the strategic direction for the regional agenda. The regional agenda establishes program priorities for implementation. This document contains the Regional Assessment and the Stakeholder Involvement Program, which will set the stage for the development of the Regional Agenda. 1.2 Regional Assessment Overview This Regional Assessment includes a thorough analysis of issues and opportunities backed by extensive data gathering and analysis. It contains a map of Projected Development Patterns and an assessment of Areas Requiring Special Attention, which includes a range of categories, such as areas where rapid development is occurring or where infill or redevelopment is desirable. Finally, it includes an assessment of the region’s development patterns in light of the state’s Quality Community Objectives. 1.3 Stakeholder Involvement Program This program outlines the process for participation by stakeholders in the creation of the Regional Agenda. It identifies stakeholders, outlines participation techniques and includes a schedule for the completion of the Regional Agenda. 1.4 Regional Agenda The Regional Agenda is the culmination of the planning process. It will include a vision of the CSRA’s future, along with an implementation program for how to get there. 1.5 How to Use This Plan The CSRA Regional Plan is intended to serve as a reference and implementation point for potential users. A number of companion planning documents should be used in conjunction with the Regional Plan. These include: § CSRA Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy § Augusta Area Diversification Initiative § Fort Gordon Joint Land Use Study § CSRA Regionally Important Resources Plan § County and City Comprehensive Plans Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 4 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 § Statewide Plans 1.6 The Central Savannah River Area The Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) encompasses an area nearly 6,500 square miles — the largest political region in the state. Located in the east-central Georgia, along the Savannah River, the CSRA includes 13 counties: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, and Wilkes (Figure 1). The largest city in the CSRA is Augusta – the economic core of the region. Figure 1: CSRA Location Map Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 5 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 1.6 About the CSRA Regional Commission The CSRA Regional Commission (CSRA RC) serves thirteen counties and 41 municipalities in east- central Georgia, providing services in the areas of planning and land-use development, grant writing and administration, economic development, historic preservation, and geographic information systems development and implementation to member jurisdictions. Additionally, the CSRA RC serves as the state-designated Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for the region. In this capacity, the CSRA RC works with local providers to ensure that services for the elderly are provided and monitored. By utilizing pass-through funds from state and federal sources, the Commission’s AAA serves as a gateway for programs and resources aimed at helping senior citizens improve the quality of their lives during their retirement years. The CSRA RC is also the parent company of the CSRA Business Lending. CSRA Business Lending makes loans to small and start-up businesses for the purposes of creating jobs and economic development opportunities within its service area. Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 6 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 Section 2: POTENTIAL REGIONAL ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 7 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 2. Potential Issues and Opportunities This section provides an objective, professional analysis (not based on public or stakeholder input) of the region. This section, presented in divisions relating to classical planning analysis areas such as housing and transportation, presents a preliminary catalog of potential focal points to be examined during the development of Plan. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) publishes a list of typical issues and opportunities as part of the State Planning Goals and Objectives. This list, in addition to an evaluation for the region’s consistency with the DCA’s Quality Community Objectives, was used as the starting point for developing the Potential Issues and Opportunities list (please refer to the Appendix of this document for an assessment of the region based on these objectives). Further issues and opportunities were identified as part of a thorough analysis of regional datasets and regional development patterns. The issues and opportunities compiled in this Regional Assessment are preliminary in nature; they will be reexamined and a final list will be assembled as part of the Regional Agenda planning process. 2.1 Population The population growth illustrated in historical trends is expected to continue over the twenty-year period. However, this growth is not uniform across the CSRA. § By 2035, the 13-county region’s population is projected at 575,304, an increase of approximately 26.5 percent over the 2010 population and 67.4 percent from 1980. This increase will have implications for housing, jobs, transportation, land use, environmental resources, and infrastructure. § While the urbanized area (Augusta-Richmond and Columbia Counties) has enjoyed population growth, the rural areas continue to lag. Eight of eleven rural counties lost population since the last census. What little population growth is occurring in rural areas is further away from incorporated municipalities, where infrastructure is already established. Should this trend continue, county governments will have to pay more to extend and maintain public services in these areas. § Household incomes continue to lag the state average. Most concerning, nearly a third of CSRA households are at income levels near or below the poverty line. § The CSRA is aging rapidly. The proportion of residents 45 years and older has increased 10 percent since 1990, while the proportion of residents under 29 years declined by 8 percent. Needs associated with an aging population (affordable housing, transportation, and medical services) are anticipated to increase over the next twenty years. Detailed data on population can be found on pages 21 through 25. Regional Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement Program | CSRA Regional Commission | 8 CSRA Regional Plan 2035 2.2 Housing State Planning Housing Goal: To ensure that all residents of the state have access to adequate and affordable housing. The CSRA’s housing stock is both